Kuwait Defense Min. asserts importance of military cooperation among GCC states

(With photos) KUWAIT, Nov 9 (KUNA) -- First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said Tuesday it was important that Arab Gulf countries join military efforts to confront "dangerous and possible" security and military challenges threatening the social fabric of the Gulf, as well as to address terrorist threats.
Addressing a meeting of Defense Ministers of the Gulf Cooperaiton Council (GCC) states, Sheikh Jaber said security and military challenges facing the six Arab Gulf countries required "continuous vigilance" and to continue to work via a uniform military strategy.
Sheikh Jaber said the terrorist and sabotage acts in the region coupled with military confrontations in neighboring and nearby countries, and the unstable conditions "in the strategic surrounding of the Gulf countries" required enhancement of "our collective regimes and to develop them to honor our supreme strategic objectives in a drive to guarantee security, stability and prosperity of the Gulf countries." The Kuwaiti Defense Minister called on his fellow Ministers to exert efforts to protect the social security of the region.
He invited GCC countries to send symbolic military units of the ones that participated in the 1991 war to liberate Kuwait, to take part in the next February's celebrations that will mark the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait.
GCC Secretary General Abdulrahman Al-Atiyyah said the Defense Ministers have approved the social security of servicemen in GCC countries, and have referred the issue to their leaders.
Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Al-Atiyyah said the Peninsula Shield Force were receiving overwhelming support from the armed forces in the GCC member states -- Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The outcome of the Defense Ministers' meeting will be referred to the GCC summit that will be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, early next month, he said.
He said the Defense Ministers discussed the military coordination and cooperation. (end) nnd.bs KUNA 091910 Nov 10NNNN